Sunday, December 18, 2011

Man gets prison for smuggling rare reef fish

From SFGate: Man gets prison for smuggling rare reef fish
A Hayward man is facing prison after pleading guilty to smuggling a rare fish worth up to $10,000 per animal by claiming they were a more common species.

The Hayward Daily Review reports (http://bit.ly/szy1SZ) that federal prosecutors accussed 58-year-old Steven Robinson of capturing 52 Clipperton angelfish off the coast of an uninhabited island southwest of Mexico.

The atoll is under French control and fishing requires the permission of the French government.

Federal fish and wildlife investigators found that Robinson was importing them into the U.S. and telling authorities they were a different fish.

Robinson is scheduled to begin serving a 45-day sentence at the end of January. He was sentenced Thursday.

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